WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/LIC/N/3/SGP/8 
29 May 2012 
 (12-2814) 
Committee on Import Licensing Original:   English 
  
 
REPLIES TO QUESTIONNAIRE ON IMPORT LICENSING PROCEDURES
1 
 
Notification under Ar ticle 7.3 of the Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures 
 
SINGAPORE 
 
  The following communication, dated 18 May 2012, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of Singapore. 
_______________ 
 
 
Outline of system 
 
1. Singapore's policy is to keep import licensing to a minimum.  Import licensing procedures are 
maintained to fulfil Singapore's obligations under inte rnational agreements or to ensure that health, 
safety, environment and national security objectives are met.   
 
Purposes and coverage of licensing 
 
2. Products subject to automatic and non-automatic  import licensing are listed in Tables 1 and 2 
respectively.  
 
Table 1: Products subject to automatic import licensing 
 
Product Laws and Regulati ons Authorizing 
Import Licensing Controlling Agency 
 Fresh fruits, vegetables, plants 
and plant products   Control of Plants Act  
 Agri-Food and 
Veterinary Authority 
  Fish and fish products  Wholesome Meat and Fish Act 
 Processed food  Sale of Food Act 
 Films, video tapes and video 
games  Films Act and its Regulations Media Development 
Authority 
 Publications (includes books, 
magazines, sound recordings, 
pictures or drawings, photographs)  Undesirable Publications Act  
 
 Mastering equipment and 
replication equipment for any 
of the following: 
- CD (compact disc); 
- CD-ROM (compact disc-read 
only memory); 
- VCD (video compact disc);  Manufacture of Optical Discs 
Act (MODA) Economic Development 
Board 
                                                      
1 See document G/LIC/3, Annex, for the Questionnaire. G/LIC/N/3/SGP/8 
Page 2  
 
  Product Laws and Regulati ons Authorizing 
Import Licensing Controlling Agency 
- DVD (digital video disc); and 
- DVD-ROM (digital video disc-
read only memory) 
 
Table 2:  Products subject to non-automatic import licensing 
Product Laws/Regulations Controlling Agency 
 Live animals (including 
ornamental fish), live birds, products of animals/birds, shell 
eggs and veterinary 
biologics/vaccines  Animals and Birds Act  
 Agri-Food and 
Veterinary Authority  
 Specific plants, plant products 
and other materials (insects, 
micro-organisms and soil)  Control of Plants (Plant 
Importation) Rules 
 Meat  Wholesome Meat and Fish Act 
 Animal feed, milk powder – 
skimmed (coloured for animal 
feed)  Animal and Birds Act and 
Feeding Stuffs Act 
 Endangered species of wild 
fauna and flora (CITES live 
specimens, parts and products)  Endangered Species (Import and 
Export) Act  
 Veterinary medicaments 
(containing controlled substances such as Schedule 
Poison under the Poisons Act 
or Controlled Drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations)  Medicines Act   
 Fruit or jackpot machines  Regulation of Imports and 
Exports Regulations Singapore Police Force 
 
 Arms and explosives 
 Swords 
 Daggers 
 Bayonets 
 Spears 
 Spearheads  Arms and Explosives Act 
 Handcuffs 
 Articles of clothing intended as 
protection against attack, including bullet-proof vests 
 Steel helmets 
 Toy guns, including pistols and 
revolvers  Regulation of Imports and 
Exports Regulations  
 
 Amusement machines, coin- or 
disc-operated, including pin-
tables, shooting galleries and 
cinematography machines  Regulation of Imports and 
Exports Regulations 
 Hazardous substances 
  Environmental Protection and 
Management Act and 
Environmental Protection and Management (Hazardous 
Substances) Regulations National Environment 
Agency 
  G/LIC/N/3/SGP/8 
 Page 3 
 
 
  Product Laws/Regulations Controlling Agency 
 Ozone depleting substances 
(ODS) and products containing 
ODS such as the following: 
- Fire extinguishers and fire 
protection systems using 
halons 
- Air-conditioning and 
refrigeration equipment  using Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) 
- Vehicles with air-conditioners 
containing CFCs  Environmental Protection and 
Management Act and 
Environmental Protection and 
Management (Ozone Depleting 
Substances) Regulations  
 
 Petroleum and flammable 
materials  Fire Safety Act and Fire Safety 
(Petroleum and Flammable 
Materials) Regulations Singapore Civil Defence 
Force 
 Radioactive materials, ionising 
radiation irradiating apparatus 
and non-ionising radiation irradiating apparatus  Radiation Protection Act and its 
Regulations National Environment 
Agency 
 Scheduled substances under the 
Poisons Act   Poisons Act and its rules Health Sciences 
Authority 
 Controlled Drugs (CD)  Misuse of Drugs Act and its 
Regulation 
 Medical Devices  Health Products Act and its 
Regulations 
 Tobacco products   Tobacco (Control of 
Advertisements and Sale ) Act 
and its Regulations 
 Medicinal products comprising 
western pharmaceuticals (including psychotropic 
substances), biologics and 
Chinese proprietary medicines  Medicines Act and its 
Regulations  
 
 Controlled telecommunication 
equipment   Telecommunications (Dealers) 
Regulations Infocomm Development 
Authority (IDA) 
 Scheduled chemicals under the 
Chemical Weapons 
Convention (CWC)  Chemical Weapons (Prohibition) 
Act and its Regulations  National Authority 
(Chemical Weapons 
Convention), Singapore 
Customs 
  
 Rice 
  Price Control (Rice) Order 
 International Enterprise 
Singapore 
 Poppy seeds (kaskas) 
  Regulation of Imports and 
Exports Regulations Central Narcotics Bureau 
 Controlled materials or 
substances used for the 
manufacturing of controlled 
drugs  Misuse of Drugs Act 
 Central Narcotics Bureau 
 Merchandise/product 
containing a photograph, 
drawing or design resembling 
or used in/on Singapore currency notes and coins  Currency Act  Monetary Authority of 
Singapore  G/LIC/N/3/SGP/8 
Page 4  
 
  Product Laws/Regulations Controlling Agency 
 Rough diamonds  Regulation of Imports and Exports 
(Kimberley Process) Regulations Singapore Customs 
 Essential Construction 
Materials (sand and granite)   Building and Construction 
Authority Act Building and 
Construction Authority 
 Biological agents that are 
capable of causing death, disease or other biological 
malfunction in a human    Biological Agents and Toxins Act Ministry of Health  
 Certain microbial toxins 
 
3. The licensing system applies to products lis ted in Tables 1 and 2 above originating in and 
coming from all countries.    For Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS), import licences are granted only for products originating from countries which are signatories to the Montreal Protocol and the relevant 
Amendments.  Imports are prohibited from non-signa tories, in accordance with  the obligations under 
the Montreal Protocol and its Amendments. 
  The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme a pplies to goods originating in and coming from 
Kimberley Process Participants only. Please refer to http://www.kimberleyprocess.com/ for a list of Kimberley Process participants.  
 
4. Singapore's import licensing procedures are not in tended to restrict the quantity or value of 
imports.  They are maintained for the purpo se of discharging Singapore's obligations under 
international agreements or for health, safety, e nvironmental and national security reasons.  As an 
example, the purpose of Kimberley Proc ess licensing is aimed to stop the flow of trade in conflict rough 
diamonds.  
 5. The laws, regulations and/or administrativ e orders under which the licensing procedures are 
maintained are listed in Tables 1 and 2 above.  All import licensing procedures are statutorily required 
and published in government gazettes.   
 While the administration of the licensing syst em is undertaken by the various licensing 
authorities for different products, the designation of produc ts to be subjected to licensing is not left to 
the discretion of the administration.  The latter re quires legislative approval. Similarly, legislative 
approval must be obtained before the gove rnment abolishes any licensing system.   
 Procedures 
 
6. Under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), Singapore is required to limit the 
aggregate amount of Schedule 1 chemicals it produces, acquires, retains, transfers or uses to 1 tonne 
per annum. 
 
 To meet emergency requirements, Singapore ma intains a stockpile scheme for rice, a staple 
food of which there is no domestic production.  An  import licensing system applies to rice imported 
from all countries.  This system divides rice imports into 2 categories, requiring (i) a stockpile licence; 
and (ii) non-stockpile licence.  All stockpile licen sees are required to participate in the stockpile 
scheme. Under this scheme, each li censee shall keep a rice stockpile  quantity which is derived from 
their import quantities. 
  G/LIC/N/3/SGP/8 
 Page 5 
 
 
   Singapore is a signatory to the Montreal Prot ocol and its amendments.  The control measures 
of ODS under the Montreal Protocol requires Parties to gradually phase out the production and consumption of ODS. Under the phase out schedule,  baselines, which limits the production and 
consumption of ODS substance, are set for the Parties to comply.  
I.  The list of scheduled chemicals under the Chemical Weapons Conven tion is available over 
the Internet at http://www.customs.gov.sg/nacw c/topNav/hom/ Information regarding rice 
importation is available at https://rice.iesingapore.gov.sg/.  On ODS matters, the importer can find the information from the Ozone Secretar iat (http://ozone.unep.org/index.asp) and the 
NEA (http://app2.nea.gov.sg/Ozone_Dep leting_Substances.aspx) websites. 
 
II. The aggregate amount of CWC Schedule 1 is a pplicable on an annual basis.  There is no 
maximum quota for the importation of rice. As part of the obligations under the Montreal 
Protocol, Singapore, as an Article-5 party to the Protocol, will be freezing the consumption of 
Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) by 2013, and to phase out the use and consumption of 
HCFCs by 2030. 
 III– VI. Please refer to paragraph 6 a nd weblinks provided in (I) above. 
 VII. Applications for licences to import CWC Schedule 1 chemicals are approved by the Director-
General of Customs. Rice licence applications are processed by the IE Singapore.  
Applications for licences to import ODS pr oducts are approved by National Environment 
Agency.  In all cases the importer does not have  to approach more than one administrative 
organ. 
 
VIII. Licences for both CWC Schedule 1chemicals and ODS products are made on a first come, 
first served basis. There is no maximum amount to be allocated per applicant and no unique 
provisions for new importers. Applications are examined on receipt. For rice licences, please refer to paragraph 6 above. 
 IX– X. Not applicable.  
 
XI.    Non approved and pr ohibited telecoms equipment 
  
 There are two categories of licences for dealing in telecommunications equipment: Telecommunication Dealer's (Individual) and Dealer's (Class) Licences".  A Dealer Class licensee can 
only deal with telecoms equipment that has been approved / registered by the Infocomm Development 
Authority (IDA) and equipment exempted from need ing approval. Dealers issued with Dealer's 
Individual Licence can, in addition to equipment covered under the Class Licence, also deal in 
non-approved telecoms equipment.  However, such non -approved telecoms equipment  (e.g. CDMA 
phones which are not compatible with domestic netw orks and may cause interference) is not allowed 
to be sold for use in Singapore.  They can be exported or sold to tourists.   
  
 In addition to non-approved items, prohibited items (e.g. radio-fre quency jammers, military 
equipment) are also disallowed for local consumpti on, largely for security related reasons.  Neither 
the Class licensee nor the Individual licensee is allowe d to deal in prohibited equipment unless special 
approval is given by IDA. 
  
7(a)  The range of time taken for processing the va rious licence applications fall within the periods 
stipulated in Article 2a(iii), for automatic licensing, and Article 3.5(f), for non-automatic 
licensing, of the Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures. 
 G/LIC/N/3/SGP/8 
Page 6  
 
   Licence applications for Schedules 2 and 3 chemicals must be received by the National 
Authority (CWC) [NA(CWC)] 14 working days prior to the import so as to ensure the 
products meet the requirements under the Chem ical Weapons (Prohibition) Act [CW(P)A] 
before their import. 
 
7(b)  In general, import licences may be grante d immediately upon request when applications are 
submitted in appropriate and complete forms.  For arms and explosives, radioactive materials 
and irradiating apparatus, import licences can be immediately granted if the importer already 
has a dealer's licence.  For arms and explosives, end user certification and import 
licence/permit from the final destination country  must also be included.  For radioactive 
materials and irradiating appara tus, items imported are specified  in their dealer's licence.  
Otherwise the importer has to inform the Centre  for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Science 
and request for his dealer’s licence to be update d to include the items to be imported.  An 
importer of hazardous substances who does no t have a licence will have to store the 
hazardous substances in the port area temporar ily, pending the approval for an import licence. 
Kimberley Process Licences may be granted immediately on request, upon submission of 
complete application. 
 7(c)  There are no limitations as to the period of  the year during which applications for licence 
and/or importation may be made.  
 
7(d)   Consideration of a licence application is effected by a single administrative organ as specified 
in the respective legislation, cited in res ponse to Question 5 above.  The importer does not 
have to approach more than one administrative body. 
 8. An application for an import licence is usually  granted if it meets the stipulated criteria.  
Licensing authorities will generally provide the reason(s)  in the event of a refusal to issue a licence.  
Avenues for appeal exist in most cases.    
Eligibility of importers to apply for licence 
 
9. All importers are eligible for applicati on of licences, whether under the restrictive or 
non-restrictive licensing system.   
 
 Generally, all persons, registered firms and ins titutions are eligible to apply for licences and 
no registration fee is necessary.  Applicants for the importation of the following products must meet 
additional criteria: 
 
(i) For a licence to deal in or import arms and explosives, applicants must not have 
criminal records or adverse security attention.  They must be above 21 years of age 
and have some basic knowledge in handling of arms and explosives; 
 
(ii) For a licence to import hazardous substances,  it is preferable that an applicant be a 
professional or a senior management sta ff, who has the necessary knowledge of how 
to safely handle the hazardous substances,  and has passed an examination for the 
Course on "Management of Hazardous S ubstances" conducted by the licensing 
authority i.e. the Pollution Control Depart ment of National Environment Agency.  
The Course covers technical knowledge on the safe handling of the hazardous 
substances and on the Environmental Pr otection and Management Act and its 
Regulations; 
 
(iii) For a licence to deal in controlled te lecommunications equipmen t, applicants should 
have knowledge of their products and IDA’ s-equipment registration requirements in  G/LIC/N/3/SGP/8 
 Page 7 
 
 
  order to advise and guide consumers; app licants for a licence must be a company 
incorporated under the Singapore Compani es Act, a Limited Liability Partnership 
under the Singapore Limited Liability Partnerships Act, or a business registered with the Accounting & Corporate Regulatory Authority of Singapore; 
 
(iv) Applicants for licences to import product containing poisons or controlled drugs must 
be qualified persons, such as registered pharmacists; 
 
(v) Only certain institutions or organisa tions such as zoos, museums and research 
institutions may apply for a licence to import certain CITES endangered species, 
mainly species listed in CITES Appendix I; 
 
(vi) Applicants for licences to import product containing poisons or controlled drugs must 
be qualified persons, such as registered pharmacists; 
 
(vii) Only licensed personnel with releva nt qualification and experience may import 
veterinary biologics.  A key criterion fo r the issuance of the dealer’s licence for 
veterinary biologics is the suitability of the facilities/ premises; applicants dealing in 
ornamental fish import or export activiti es must have approved premises with 
facilities for holding, quarantining, and packing of ornamental fish; 
 
(viii) Only companies registered in Singapore  are eligible to apply for licences to import 
ODS. 
 
Documentational and other requireme nts for application for licence 
 
10. The following information is required in ap plications for import licences:  particulars of 
importer, company registration certificate issued  by the Singapore Registry of Companies and 
Businesses, product description, product quantity, mode  of transport, and port of shipment/transport, 
product brand/serial number /model /make and country of origin.  Information on import procedures 
and applications is otherwise available over the respective agencies' websites.  Additional 
requirements in applications to import the following products include:  
(i) For applications to import hazardous s ubstances, documents of approval from the 
Central Building Plan Department (CBP D) and a valid Hazardous Substances 
Licence or Permit from the Pollution Control Department (PCD) to show that the applicant has approved storage and handli ng facilities to handle hazardous substances 
safely; a layout plan to show areas for storing hazardous substances; and an 
emergency action plan to indicate how a chemical release from the storage area will be contained, detoxified and cleaned up; 
 
(ii) For applications to deal in rice, tel ecommunication equipment, arms and explosives, 
documents on the technical specifications of the products.  In addition, applicants for 
licences to deal in arms and explosives must ensure the following: 
 
-   Commercial and Industrial Security Corporation (CISCO) Constable(s) are 
engaged to escort the transportation of goods; 
-  all pyrotechnics are to be stored at  wharves designated by the Port of 
Singapore Authority (PSA); 
-  high explosives can only be loaded or  unloaded at Tuas Explosives Jetty; 
 G/LIC/N/3/SGP/8 
Page 8  
 
  (iii) For applications to import CITES specimens  (live, parts or products) would require 
the CITES export or re-export licence issued by the CITES Management Authority of 
the exporting or re-exporting country; 
 
(iv) For applications to import merchandise /product containing a photograph, drawing or 
design or part thereof used in or on any Singapore currency note or coin, visuals or 
samples of the merchandise/product.   
 (v) For western pharmaceutical products and biologics, the criteria taken into 
consideration for product licensing are qualit y, safety and efficacy of the product.  
Technical dossier comprising clinical data , quality and safety data as well as product 
information and packaging are to be submitte d.  For products to be evaluated through 
an abridge evaluation route, a documentary evidence that the product has been approved by a Drug Regulatory Agency such as Certificate of Pharmaceutical Product (CPP) is required to be submitted.  For a product   to be evaluated through a 
Full Evaluation Route, documentary evidence like the CPP is not required.  Products 
manufactured from manufacturing facilities which have not been inspected and certified by the competent authorities rec ognized by the Health Sciences Authority 
(HSA) will be subject to HSA's GMP audit requirement. Medicinal product 
registration requirements and guidelines are pub licly available on HAS's website.     
 
(vi) For Chinese Proprietary Medicines, full product formula, a set of labels/package 
insert, product sample, manufacturer's licence/certificate, certificate of free sale or 
equivalent and test reports containing test results for toxic heavy metals and microbial 
contamination; 
 
(vii) For plants, live insects, micro-organism s, growing medium such as soil, peat moss 
and fertilizer of plant origin, import permits are valid for two weeks and each permit 
is for one consignment only; and when required, accompanied by phytosanitary 
certificates/ CITES permit or similar official statement issued not more than 14 days prior to date of shipment of consignmen t by a competent government agency or 
agricultural authority.  Imports of the a bove listed items are also subject to plant 
quarantine inspection requirements; 
 (viii) For ODS, a valid Hazardous Substances licence must first be obtained from NEA to 
import ODS into Singapore.  Du ring importation, bill of la ding and invoices must be 
submitted to NEA for approval. 
 
 (ix) For a licence to import petroleum and fla mmable materials, applicants are required to 
indicate the premises that the imported petroleum and flammable materials are to be 
stored.  The premises must be a licensed premises permitted to store petroleum and flammable materials.      
 
11. Upon actual importation, importers are required to make an Inward Declaration showing the 
correct description and quantities of each consignm ent made electronically through the TradeNet 
system.  Shipping documents such as the Bill of Ladi ng/ Airway Bill and invoice are also required.  
Additional requirements for the impor tation of certain products include: 
 
(i) For publications, the lang uage, title and number of copies of the publication have to 
be specified; 
  G/LIC/N/3/SGP/8 
 Page 9 
 
 
  (ii) For arms and explosives, imports must be produced for inspection at the Arms and 
 Explosives Branch immediately after customs clearance; 
 
(iii) For meat and meat products, imports mu st be derived from sources approved by the 
licensing authority i.e. the AVA.  They must be accompanied by a veterinary health 
certificate issued by the approved sources in the exporting country and inspected 
upon importation; for selected fish or fi sh products, additional product quality and 
quarantine requirements apply; 
 (iv) For live animals/birds/ornamental fish, products of live animals/birds and veterinary 
biologics, importers are required to show the import permits issued by the AVA 
together with relevant documents (such as veterinary health certificate, QC report) 
from the exporting country. All ornamental fish imported must be healthy and free 
from any clinical signs of disease at the time of import. Sources may need to be approved by the AVA prior to import application, depending on the type of product. 
Endangered species must be accompanied by CITES permits;  
 (v) For fresh fruit and vegetables, each cons ignment must be subject to inspection and 
sampling upon importation; meet the sanitary standards prescribed under Rule 9 of 
the Control of Plants (Import and Tranship ment of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables) 
Rules; and be in containers which, at the time of importation, must bear the name and 
address of the producer.  In addition to the requirements above, the date and time of 
arrival of each consignment must be indicated; 
 (vi) For plants, live insects, micro-organism s, growing medium such as soil, peat moss 
and fertilizer of plant origin, importers are required to produce the relevant 
documents (such as phytosanitary certifi cate, CITES permit for endangered plant 
species, and   post entry inspection form); 
 (vii) For rough diamonds, an Import Permit w ill only be issued upon presentation of a 
Kimberley Process certificat e issued by the overseas exporting Kimberley Process 
authority. 
 
12. Licensing fees are required for the following classes of licences:   (i) Product licences  
-  A permit fee of S$11 per consignment of plants, live insects, plant micro-organisms, 
growing medium such as soil, peat moss and fertilizer of plant origin.  Other fees for and incidental to any inspection or examination activities are also specified under the Control of Plants (Plant Importation) Rules;  
 -  A permit fee of S$4.60 per 100 kilogrammes applies for chilled, frozen meat and 
processed meat, and S$77 per consi gnment of meat packed in cans; 
 
-  A permit fee of S$3 per consignment applies for ornamental fish, food fish and fish 
products as well as fresh fruits and vegetables; 
 
- A permit fee of S$87 per consignment of live animals imported for commercial 
purposes; S$62 per consignment of live bi rds and eggs imported for commercial 
purposes; S$50 per permit for pet animals/bi rds; and S$22 per permit for veterinary 
biologics.  The import licences for the above products are valid for 30 days; extension 
may be granted with valid r eason given by the importers; G/LIC/N/3/SGP/8 
Page 10  
 
  - A permit fee of S$12 per scheduled CITES endangered species or parts/derivatives, 
subject to a minimum amount of S$60 per consignment, depending on the species.  Each licence is valid for three months and may be extended for another three months; 
 -  A licence fee of S$40 per consignment appli es to radioactive materials and irradiating 
apparatus. Each import licence is valid for one  month or until the shipment is cleared, 
whichever is shorter.  Validity can be ex tended if the consignee can prove that the 
shipment was delayed; 
 
-  A licence fee of S$16 per consignment applies to arms and explosives; 
 
-  Licence fees for Western drugs, Chinese pr oprietary medicines,  Cosmetic products 
and Controlled drugs are as stipulated in http://www.hsa.gov.sg/publish/hsaportal/ en/health_products_regulation/licences_fees.html; 
 
-  An import/export licence fee of S$100 per consignment of controlled drugs;  
 
-  An annual licence fee of $500 is applicable to importers of pharmaceuticals, biologics 
and Chinese proprietary medicines;  
 
-  A licence fee of $250 per consignment is a pplicable to unauthorized dealers in the 
case of parallel imports;  
 
- A licensing fee of $50 per annum is requir ed for Kimberley Pro cess licences for rough 
diamonds. 
 
 (ii) Dealers' licences 
 
-  An annual licence fee of S$378 for fresh fruit and vegetables; 
 
-  A 2-year licence fee ranging from S$300 - S$3,700 for arms and explosives;  
 
-  An annual licence fee of S$84 for meat and fish products; 
 -  An annual licence fee of S$350 for ornamental fish;  
 
-  An annual licence fee of S$45 for veterinary biologics; 
 
- An annual licence fee at S$280 or a biennial licence at S$560 for hazardous 
substances;  
 - An annual licence fee at S$210 and a biennial licence at S$420 for radioactive 
materials and irradiating apparatus; 
 
-  A lifetime licence fee of S$50 for rice (with effect from 1 Oct 2009);  -  An annual licence fee of S$180 for operations of fruit/jackpot machines, renewable at 
 S$30 per annum;  
 
-  A registration fee of S$50 (one time only) for dealing in IDA approved/registered 
equipment under the Dealer's Class Licence, and a licence fee of S$250 for five years for dealing in approved/registere d as well as non-approved types of 
telecommunication equipment under th e Dealer's Individual Licence;  G/LIC/N/3/SGP/8 
 Page 11 
 
 
  -  A bank guarantee of S$200,000 for publishers  to circulate offshore newspapers in 
Singapore; 
 
-  Licence fees for Western medicines, Ch inese proprietary medicines, Cosmetic 
products and Controlled drugs are as stipulated in 
http://www.hsa.gov.sg/publish/hsaportal/en/h ealth_products_regulatio n/licences_fees.htm
l; 
 
-  For registered western pharmaceuticals a nd biologics, the annual licence fee is S$300 
per product.  It is to be paid annually on renewal.  For new products, there will be 
application screening fee and evaluation fees charged depending on the route of 
evaluation.  The fees are published on HSA's website; 
 
-  An annual licence fee of S$180 to manufacture,  possess for sale or deal in irradiating 
apparatus or radioactive materials;  an  annual fee of S$130 to keep or possess 
radioactive materials or irradiating apparatu s other than for sale;  an annual fee of 
S$120 to use radioactive materials or irradi ating apparatus;  and an annual fee of 
S$130 to handle and transport radioactive materials; 
 
-  An annual licence fee of S$308 for the import,  export, sale, storage and transport of 
hazardous substances; an annual permit fee of S$74 for the purchase, use and storage of hazardous substances for end-users. 
 
13. There are no deposit or advance payment requi rements associated with the issue of licences. 
 
Conditions of licensing 
 
14. The period of the validity of a dealer’s licence is as specified in the response to Question 12.  
The approved product licences cease to be valid on ce the importation of the concerned products is 
effected (except for biological agents and toxins  regulated under the Biological Agents and Toxins 
Act). The NA (CWC) License issued is valid until the end of the calendar year. The validity of these 
licences may be extended by renewal.   15. There is no penalty for the non-utilisation of licence or a portion of it. 
 
16. Licences are not transferable between importers.  17. For products subject to quantitative restriction,  in addition to the requirements listed in the 
responses to Questions 10 and 11, the following conditions are applicable: 
 
(i) Applicants importing CWC Schedule 1 chemicals are subject to the following 
conditions:  
- The licensee must inform the NA(CWC) not less than 45 days before and after the 
import from CWC State Party; 
 
- The licensee must inform the NA(CWC) not less than 5 days before and after the 
import from CWC State Party, if the import is Saxitoxin, not exceeding 5 milligrams, 
for medical/diagnostic purposes 
 
- The licensee must not import from a CWC Non-State Party; 
 
- The licensee must not re-export the CWC Schedule 1 chemical. G/LIC/N/3/SGP/8 
Page 12  
 
   (ii) There are no other conditions attached to the issue of a license for a product subject to 
quantitative restriction. For pr oducts not subject to quantita tive restriction, in addition 
to the requirements listed in the respon ses to Questions 10 and 11, the following 
conditions are applicable:  
 
 - Applicants dealing in fruit/jackpot m achines must ensure th at these machines 
are to be used in licensed clubs; 
  - Applications to deal in radioactiv e materials and irradiating apparatus are 
subject to the following conditions; 
 
 - The company must possess a licence to  handle and transport radioactive 
materials if it undertakes its own trans portation.  In addition, the importer 
must ensure that the vehicle transpor ting radioactive materials displays a 
proper placard showing the radiation sign and that it is not left unattended, 
 
 - The importer, if he is an end-user, must possess a licence that specifies the 
type and quantity of radi oactive materials that may be possessed, and another 
licence for the use, handling and transport of radioactive materials; and another licence for an individual to use these machines, 
 
 - If the importer is the end-user of irradiating apparatus, the company must 
have a licence for each machine it possesses. 
  (iii) Existing NEA regulations do have the provisions to licensing conditions and other 
administrative controls over the import or  usage of radioactive materials and 
irradiating apparatus. For irradiating appa ratus for use on the human body, which are 
subject to regulatory control by NEA and HSA, e.g. medical devices and aesthetic/cosmetic devices, importers may need to demonstrate the compliance to internationally recognized regulatory directives.  
 
Other procedural requirements 
 
18. There are no other administrative procedures, apart from import licensing and similar 
administrative procedures, required prior to importation.    19. Foreign exchange issues are not applicable  to import licensing for Singapore, as only 
Singapore-registered importers are able to obtain licences.  
 
__________